Kael walked in silence, his boots sinking into the wet earth. The mist clung to him like a second skin. Behind him, Liora's footsteps were light but steady. Neither of them spoke. The voice they had heard still echoed in his head.
Kael (narration): "Names have power. That thing knew mine. If it knows my name… it knows my sins."
A branch snapped somewhere to their left. Kael froze, dagger half-drawn. Liora stepped closer, her hand brushing the hilt of a hidden blade.
Liora: "It's following us."
Kael: "Let it. I'm done running."
Before she could answer, a scream tore through the mist—high, sharp, human. Kael's heart lurched. Without thinking, he sprinted toward the sound, shadows spiraling from his arms like living smoke. Liora followed, her green light flaring in the gloom.
They broke into a clearing. A boy no older than twelve knelt in the mud, clutching his side. Around him, three twisted creatures closed in, their eyes burning red.
Kael: "Stay behind me!"
He lunged, shadows striking out like spears, impaling the first creature. The second leapt at him—Liora's blade of light cut it down midair. The third turned on the boy, but Kael was faster, tackling it and driving his dagger into its throat. Black ichor splattered across his hands.
Silence. The boy stared at Kael, eyes wide with terror and recognition.
Boy (whispering): "You… you're the cursed one. My father said you'd come."
Kael's stomach dropped. He grabbed the boy's shoulders.
Kael: "Who's your father? How does he know me?"
The boy's lips trembled. "He said you'd bring the storm. He said you'd—"
An arrow whistled out of the mist, striking the boy in the back. He gasped, eyes going blank. Kael spun around, shadows rising like a wall. From the mist, dozens of figures emerged—hunters, robed and masked, their weapons drawn.
Liora: "Kael… they're not here for me. They're here for you."
Kael's jaw clenched. For the first time, the shadows around him didn't just move—they roared.
Kael (narration): "Enough running. Enough hiding. If they want the cursed one, they'll have him."